Police officer forgets sub-machine gun in street

A policeman in Bratislava lost his service sub-machine gun this week. According to the internet portal Cas.sk, he put the weapon on top of his car and then drove away with his colleague.

The weapon that killed 6 innocent victims in Bratislava

The lost service type 58 sub-machine gun was found on Monday evening by a bus driver at a bus stop on Lamacska Cesta in Bratislava.

The police blunder was the work of two sergeants of the district police station in the Karlova Ves district of Bratislava. Both are facing disciplinary action.

“The policeman put the sub-machine gun on the roof of his patrol car while he was putting things into the car. Then he drove away with his colleague. After the weapon was found, it was returned to the police,” Bratislava regional police spokesman Frantisek Pczar told Cas.sk.

In the past, police patrols in Bratislava have forgotten all kinds of things on top of their vehicles, like radios, breathalysers and other equipment. Today’s loss of a service sub-machine gun is the first case of its kind.

The sub-machine gun type 58 has only been part of the police patrol equipment since the middle of November last year.

The use of this former military weapon was ordered by interior minister Daniel Lipsic in reaction to last year’s shooting incident in Devinska Nova Ves. Many weapon experts, though, claim that the sub-machine gun is not suitable for use in the city.

Cas.sk spoke to former Police Superintendant Jan Packa, who is a chief in the civil association of veteran police officers KAPOL 21.

“It is unfortunate for the two young police officers. However, we consider the inclusion of this weapon as part of police equipment a much more serious issue. We have to realise that the firing range from a sub-machine gun is up to three kilometers, which is particularly dangerous in a city. In my opinion, only special units and emergency teams should be equipped with these weapons. The sub-machine guns are unnecessary for standard police officers,” said Packa.